Past DEI Empowerment Conferences
In This Section
2025 Conference
Embedding Access and Inclusion in Everything
The 2025 DEI Empowerment Conference, Embedding Access and Inclusion in Everything, was held virtually over Zoom on June 4, 5, 11, and 12.
Access recordings and materials
Most of the conference sessions were recorded, and many have documents included for download. Some presentations were not recorded due to cultural considerations, safety concerns, or contractual issues. Materials are available for download if they meet accessibility expectations and if the presenter has given us permission to share the content with you. We have done our best to ensure that content is accessible and is WCAG and ADA compliant.
Events
2024 Conference
Equity & Belonging Through Disrupting Policy & Practice
When we say “Disrupting,” we are focusing on the importance of pausing and analyzing current policies and practices to help us identify and remove barriers. We are committed to supporting statewide and agency-specific efforts to build a broad path toward equity, anti-racism and belonging in the workplace. All employees have the power to contribute.
Conference Sessions
Thank you for attending the 2024 DEI Empowerment Conference held virtually over Zoom Wednesday June 5, Thursday June 6, Tuesday June 11, and Wednesday June 12 — designed by and for Washington state employees. Due to the ever-changing landscape of DEI work, we limit access to recorded video replay to ensure the information we share is relevant and timely. The 2024 session videos have expired. Download the conference program [PDF] for a look back on the 2024 DEI Empowerment conference topics.
Sponsors and core team
Thank you to our sponsors:
Executive branch cabinet members and other state HR contributing agencies
Statewide DEI Council
Thank you to our Core Team member agencies:
2023 Conference
Bridging Gaps and Leaning into Action
The 2023 WA DEI Empowerment Conference, with a theme of Bridging Gaps and Leaning into Action, was held virtually over Zoom each Wednesday in June. We are committed to supporting statewide and agency-specific equity and anti-racism work, with the goal of building more just systems and fostering a culture of inclusion and belonging with our state workforce. The conference was hosted by Dr. Adrian Thompson, chief equity officer for the Department of Enterprise Services.
Dr. Adrian Thompson, host
Dr. Adrian Thompson is the chief equity officer for the Department of Enterprise Services. Dr. Thompson is currently leading the statewide foundational DEI training, which will train all of Washington state government. Dr. Thompson also served as host of the 2022 DEI Summit.
By training and experience, Dr. Thompson is a psychologist, researcher, author, lecturer, and community servant. He has helped research mental health disparities in the court system, advocated for and treated youth who were sexually abused, and co-created a medical mentoring program designed to target disparities in high school achievement and medical school enrollment.
Dr. Thompson earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Howard University. While at Howard, Dr. Thompson participated in several nationwide diversity and minority initiatives to increase academic diversity and representation. His research and publications focus on the physiological effects of race and racism, diversity, and social initiatives to increase minority participation.
For more information
If you have questions about the conference, see the conference FAQs. You can also view more information about our speakers and sponsors in the conference program [PDF].
State DEI training
- State Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training (des.wa.gov)
- View the documentary, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America
- Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America – Viewer Guide
Thank you to our sponsors:
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